Watch'ya got cookin' 2014

We always start the new year with pork for good luck, rooting forward, rather than scratching back.
I started the new year off this AM by braising a 12# center cut pork loin and roasting it for a family dinner with 6#s of sauerkraut. Not being quite up to full stream yet, I took the easy way out and prepared 20 helpings of Hungary Jack mashed potatoes. While I was boning the 24# loin I popped some homemade corn bread in the oven. I usually make my own rubs using cumin, caraway, coriander, and celery seed. After brazing, rubbing and putting the roaster in the oven I put all the bones in a large crock pot with a Memphis BBQ sauce for another meal later in the week "Gee free ribs". I also bagged and froze 2 smaller loin roast and a tenderloin. Most of the meal was gone by the time I started cleaning up.

Gosh Ric, you've made me hungry just reading your post!! That "4-C's" rub sounds really delicious, too, though I think (for me), I'd throw a pinch or 2 of some sage in there as well. (I really like sage with pork).

We don't have any special traditions that we do for the New Year, and neither of us has any family that lives close, so since it was just the 2 of us, we just did Ranch Chicken subs and fries. ;) Very exciting, huh? =)

That does sound delish!! Nothing special here...leftovers.

We already try to eat fresh, but I'll really try to watch cholesterol levels, since hubby's level seemed high on his bloodwork. Any suggestions for me?

Jane (some of you have meet her at our swaps and Critters) and her DH, Tate are coming for lunch, so I stuffed a 8# chicken with sweet potatoes, carrots, and apples. I'm also making a creamed cheddar, broccoli, and mushroom soup with mashed sweet potatoes. A cheese and veggie plate to start and I think Holly has a bottle of vino squirreled away somewhere. I think it sounds like a winter weather meal.Jane is bringing dessert.

Speedie have you ever tried coriander? I think it imparts a sage-like flavor to pork without the after taste I associate with sage.

Jan to lower Jeff's cholesterol don't feed him at our house. I like cream this and butter that, not particularly good for him.Holly and I don't have cholesterol levels that concern our Drs. I don't put a lot of stock in cholesterol control, Holly's dad has high serum cholesterol and after a number of heart procedures was told he has very little plaque. I also used to work with a guy who's cholesterol wasn't that high and had old arteries. Go figure.

Ric, you are such a fabulous cook!

Don't laugh, but lately I've become interested in "Tea Time". My sister took the "Marrone girls" to an afternoon tea at Oatlands, an historic mansion south of Leesburg, a few weeks before Christmas. It was fun and I thought it would be easy to re-create for little get-togethers at home. I bought a cook book on the subject and subscribed to a bi-monthly magazine. There are a lot of recipes for finger sandwiches and pretty little deserts. I have the perfect spot in the living room's turret, a lot of china pieces, and even some antique hats to wear for a bit of humor. Fancy a cup of tea? LOL.

Thanks, Ric. My idea is just do moderation. I don't want him to feel like he is missing something. My goal will be to mix things up.

Aspen, that sounds perfect! Yes, I would like a spot of tea. When I was in Florida I took my dear friend to a place that looked like a Victorian house. Each table set differently. Lots of teas, etc. She really enjoyed it. There was a family that came in-two young girls and a younger son. They all seemed to be having a good time. Cute to see the young ones learning etiquette.

Good call Jan.
Terri, Tea (such as Earl Grey w/ lemon) , a whole grain crumpet, with a little cheese could be a very satisfying afternoon faire, fulfilling the need to browse, reducing appetite, and probably only be less than 25 total carbs.
We had a high tea at our garden club meeting while a couple of ladies did a presentation on English gardens. It was great fun, and no I didn't wear a hat. LOL

Hmmm... It's 3:13. Is it tea time yet?

I do believe tea time is somewhere between 4 and 6. LOL

Looks and sounds yummy! That's what the holidays are for, right? LOL! Our fridge and pantry are bulging with leftovers right now. I've started including chocolates in my morning cup of coffee. ;-)

I love all the scone recipes put out under imperialteagarden.com. My favorite is a combination of the ones made with heavy cream with orange zest, orange juice and either dried cranberries (
craisins) or currants. These are so rich that I seldom use the lemon curd that I make for them.

Oh yes, tea time can be VERY delicious.

Jan, may I suggest wine for the cholesterol? (and, do I have to twist arms? heehee) High cholesterol runs rampant in our family and my sister (the wino) has NO problem with hers. Go figure. That and garlic are great for it... but, not together. ;)

Ric, Oh yes, I do love coriander, I forgot about that one! =) Great on/in pork, poultry, beef... eggs. < =)
Have you seen my spice rack?

Heehee. Actually, speedie, Jeff usually does have a glass nightly. The week before his bloodwork I did make eggs a couple times. Could that have done it?

Tea time was loverly.

I recently heard somewhere, that although eggs contain cholesterol, they do not necessarily raise the cholesterol of the person who ingests them. It's hard to keep up with the latest findings.

We are watching a British cop-drama series- they showed a cart getting wheeled into the detectives room for tea time. Wouldn't that be nice in our offices?

We had black eyed peas and rice for New years eve. Then Salmon filet, crashed potatoes and broccoli for NY Day. Pioneer woman posted a crash potatoes recipe and a lot of other bloggers are posting them too.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

Ric that must have been delicious. I was really tempted by the pork country ribs at the store but was already using pork Italian sausage twice this week.

Those crash hot potatoes look really good!

Sally, I never buy ribs at market, the price they want for bones is sometimes ridiculous. I usually buy at least 1 whole loin a year, usually @ $1.49/# and then bone it. Then I cook the "waste"LOL.

Oh, I know what I will make soon!!! Those taters look deeeeelish!!!!!

I have always used this recipe to bake my Country Spare Ribs.
It is awesome--and very tasty. You have to make your own BQ sauce for it.
This is in from the 1st edition of the "Betty Crocker New Picture Cookbook"
I received as a bridal shower gift. This would be in 1960 or so.
Please try it once--you will love this. (I had to hand-type all this here).

Barbequed Spareribs.

--Place 3lbs. meaty Country Spare or loin ribs, cut in serving-size pieces,
on a rack in a shallow baking pan. Do not cover and do not add water.
--Season ribs with salt and pepper to taste
--On each piece, place a lemon slice--(I cut mine in half--goes further)
--Sprinkle 1/2 cup (need more!..) of chopped onion over all
--Bake in a 450* oven about 30 minutes.
--Pour Texas BQ sauce (below) over ribs
--Continue baking at 350*1 1/2-2hrs. Baste with sauce every 15 minutes.
If sauce thickens in pan--add a little hot water
--To prevent excessive browning, loosely cover with foil the
last 30 minutes of baking.

Texas BQ sauce

In a small sauce pan mix:
2 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs, Paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry Mustard
1/4 tsp Chili powder
1/8 tsp Cayene pepper
2Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 cup tomato juice
1/4 cup catsup
1/2 cup water
Simmer 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened.


These are DEE--lish!!!! Gita

Sounds great, Gita. I think this will be one of the dishes that I'll make when all my grandsons come to celebrate the youngest one's birthday!

Those taters and ribs look awfully good.

Every six months or so I take stock of what is still in the freezer and pantry and focus the next few weeks meals around using it up. Tonight will be boneless chicken strips cooked and diced then thrown in a casserole dish with Uncle Ben's long grain and wild rice, cream of mushroom soup, and parmesan cheese. I feel pretty clever LOL. Anyone have a good idea for boneless pork chops or ground beef?

The ribs sound delicious!

Inspired by the talks of English tea, I dug out a recipe for clotted cream, a must-have for English scones :o). It takes about 24 hours to make, including 12 hours in the oven at 180F. Today would be a good day to have the oven on. The crucial ingredient is missing though - heavy cream that is NOT ultra-pasteurized. Does anybody know where I can find it? The type we find at Safeway and most other supermarkets has a 'U' on the carton. I think it means it is ultra-pasteurized.

Hi Sally,
I get my milk delivered from South Mountain Creamery. It is located in Middletown, Md (near Frederick), but they deliver everywhere in the NoVA/MD/DC/WV area. There is nothing better than the milk in the glass bottles. Anyway, I checked on their website about their pasteurization - it is pasteurized, but it may be what you are looking for - i.e. not ultra-pasteurized.

Here is the excerpt from their website (http://www.southmountaincreamery.com):
"Yes! SMC milk is pasteurized, as required by Marlyand State Law! We do offer several different approaches that make our milk healthier and more delicious than competitors! We pasteurize using a HTST system which means our milk is heated to 165F for 18 seconds and then cooled. Most grocery stores pasteurize at a much higher temperature (approximately 280F). This does provide a longer shelf life, but strips the milk of its natural proteins, healthy enzymes, and flavor! Raw milk is illegal to sell in MD, so all SMC milk is pasteurized."

Terri, thank you SOOOO much!!! I may very well go there first thing tomorrow - if I feel dynamic enough ;-).

Pasteurized cream is perfectly fine for making clotted cream. If I am successful, I will give you a step by step report. If you don't hear from me, that means I have burned the cream in the process. Hahaha!

Terri, I've got an idea for those boneless pork chops: Schnitzel!! =) This is my favourite thing to do with boneless pork chops, and the main reason I buy them that way. (otherwise I'd buy bone-in ones, they have more flavour).

About 2 pounds pork chops

Batter:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Breading:
2 cups cracker meal (OR fine bread crumbs - unseasoned)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp granulated garlic

Oil for frying, making sure it's about 1" deep in the skillet.

Butterfly each chop. Pound each chop VERY VERY thin. (so you can read a newspaper through it)

Dunk meat into the batter on both sides

Dip meat into the breading mix, coating it fully

Let it sit in coating for a few minutes, so breading will "set".

Fry schnitzel in oil that has been pre-heated on medium heat. Fry until schnitzel is golden brown. It shouldn't need to be turned if oil is deep enough and if it's been pounded thin enough.

*********

When I make these, my oil is usually not deep enough, so I cook one side about 2 minutes, flip them, then cook the other side about 2 minutes. Done. After they've been pounded out really thin, they look HUGE... they really spread out a lot. Don't be daunted. :)

Holly saw some whoopee pies on Pinterest, that were ginger, molasses cookies with salted caramel filling. She's now dying to have one. Since I usually make her molasses cookies I may have to try these. The only problem is where to hide them between treats as they are definitely not dietetic. LOL

These should be right up my alley, my favorite birthday cake was always a spice cake with caramel icing.

This message was edited Jan 5, 2014 1:53 PM

Ooohhhh, I LOVE spice cake and I LOVE caramel. What a great combination. Need a good recipe, now.

Oh, my dad loved spice cake with caramel icing. Mom would use strawberry jam between the layers. YUM!!!

I'm a big spices fan, too, and the holidays have been wonderful for yummy treats. My favorite holiday cake this year has been a Jamaican Rum Cake--yumm!

Dinner is roasted 'natural' chickens from Walmart, corn souffle, zucchini, cranberry sauce, coleslaw.

Sitting here watching the Green Bay / San Francisco playoff game and snacking on fresh pineapple chunks with a chocolate dipping sauce. So simple, yet so good. Probably will just have a bowl of soup later instead of a full dinner.

Tomorrow I'll use up the filet mignons in the freezer. I have a great recipe from Cooking Light. Rub the filets in a spice mixture of black pepper, garlic salt, and thyme. Then simmer in french onion soup broth with red wine, mushrooms, and onions. I think I'll also make those smashed potatoes to go with it.

Sally, how do you make your corn souffle?

Terri--
Don't you know??? Sally puffs up each kernel with a tiny straw.......:o)

Sally--Your dinners sound so yummy. Do you cook like this all the time
for your "Ravenous Critters"???? Or is it just around the Holidays?

Were you at the first ever Plant swap at Hart's in the hills of WV???? 2008, I think...

Hart made her yummy "Corn Pudding" for us all back then.
She shared the recipe afterwards. I think it was her mother's?
I made it this Thanksgiving for our dinner at Aina and Mark's. My DD and SIL)
I liked it! They were, sort of, so-so.. Not too keen on new stuff...
However--I HAVE TO be the one to make the stuffing and the Gravy.

In case you don't have it--here it is:

HART’S CORN PUDDING:

As promised, here's the recipe for the corn pudding, which is an old family recipe. What I made today was one and a half times this recipe; so just increase every amount by another 50% to make a dish that size. There are some measurements missing and the handed down recipe has no instructions at all, just ingredients, so I'll do my best to fill in the blanks.

4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 stick butter melted (make sure you use real butter)
pinch salt
vanilla (teaspoon or so)
2 cups Carnation Evaporated milk, cream or whole milk (I use Carnation milk)
2 cans corn, 16oz, drained
nutmeg (half teaspoon maybe? I sprinkle on top pretty generously, stir in and then sprinkle on a little more)

In a glass baking dish, beat the eggs with a fork until yolks and whites are well mixed, add in sugar, butter, milk and stir well. Add in corn, salt, vanilla, nutmeg.

Bake in 325 degree oven until center is firm but still jiggly. The batch I made today baked for about an hour and a half but my oven temps may be running a bit low.

My comment:
Test for the "jiggle". If it is too "jiggly"--it may turn a bit "watery" at the bottom.
Mine took a longer time to bake....

tee hee Gita!
I try to make 'dinner' when I have time, because more often I don't have time. Espe tonight as DD is going back to school this week.

Corn Souffle (not really puffy like soufle but drier than pudding. Or like a very moist bread)

I stick butter
2 eggs
3/4 c sour cream
1 can corn drained
1 can cream style corn
I box corn muffin mix like Jiffy

Melt butter in baking dish. Set aside.
Mix eggs, sour cream, corns, and then corn mix. Pour into baking dish and bake 350 degrees about an hour- timing varies with the size and shape of your dish. Should be browned on the edges and firm with cracks in center.

It was a nice excuse not to make mashed potatos and gravy with the chicken.

Man, both of those recipes look yummy, so I have saved them both! =) I've got pork chops and meatloaf and other "boring" entrees on the menu for the next 2 weeks and have been looking for a good "new" idea as a side -- these will do it! Thank you Ladies!! =)

It will be leftover roast chicken here for supper, I may try the smashed potatoes. I may get around to baking some cookies, since I made none before or for the holidays.

Split Pea soup! With lots of baby carrots and celery.

Coleup, I just made a big pot of split pea soup yesterday! :-) perfect weather for it.

I'm not sure if Holly likes split pea soup. I like it with smoked ham hocks and diced potato. I made a lentil soup from one of those "Womens Bean Project" mixes. I made a rue with onion and thyme and cubed some beef sirloin and browned with a little merlot. Cooking it as directed. I thought it was good, but I can't eat 8 cups of anything by myself except maybe Memphis Ribs, Prime Rib, or Pit Beef, or... LOL

Ric--

I hope you try the BQ rib recipe I posted above. The Texas BQ sauce
you have to make is awesome! The lemon adds so much!

You will see how tasty they turn out.
So far--no one commented if they will try it. PLEASE DO!!!!
Use fleshy Country Spare Ribs for this--lip smacking good.
G.